Recent content by TheRatmeister

  1. TheRatmeister

    MBTA Fare System (Charlie, AFC 2.0, Zone, Discounts)

    They're fare machines, I'm not sure what you expected. Here are some from London and Paris: In terms of functionality they look pretty good. The side buttons are better than touch screens IMO and everything is labeled clearly.
  2. TheRatmeister

    General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

    Is it being cut or is the scheduled service being changed to reflect what the actual service already is? If you add up the new frequencies they're damn close to the 28TPH Park St is seeing currently.
  3. TheRatmeister

    Crazy Transit Pitches

    I was thinking more along the lines of a subway through the Mount Bowdoin area to Fields Corner but you're right that is an easy option. It just misses so much area I think it would probably come out worse in any comparison.
  4. TheRatmeister

    Crazy Transit Pitches

    If you do that you must do something about crowding though. Probably wide, spanish solution platforms for easy crowd flow. Two stops definitely can work, I think the Newbury-Comm Ave block is wide enough for a Copley station, and Back Bay can just go under Back Bay. Plus one for Washington...
  5. TheRatmeister

    Redesign the Urban Ring

    I mean, I'd think such a modification could be done by just raising the track and adjusting the height of the wires rather than actually modifying the concrete viaduct. The actual height adjustment we're talking about here is a little over 1 foot at its maximum. Assuming that can be done, that's...
  6. TheRatmeister

    Crazy Transit Pitches

    Many towns in Western Mass are small enough to be walkable/bikable. This is by design, they were built as railway towns. See West Brookfield or Deerfield. They were built as railway towns, they can become railway towns again.
  7. TheRatmeister

    Redesign the Urban Ring

    From the same document, the Union Sq platform would be on a section with a gradient of approximately 0.5% so that side is totally fine. But you're right that the Medford side is steeper than 1%. That being said, I would argue quite strongly that a viaduct needing modifications does not kill a...
  8. TheRatmeister

    Redesign the Urban Ring

    You need a slightly curved platform but this part is not a problem. I don't see anything in the design standards which would prohibit this. As long as the grade doesn't exceed 1% it's fine. I can't tell if that's the case but it does not look particularly steep. The Lowell Line station is a...
  9. TheRatmeister

    Redesign the Urban Ring

    There is definitely development around Lechmere. It's just that said development is already very well served by the GL and OL, and would seemingly require 1 mile of extra subway as opposed to .5 miles of elevated if you want to both hit Cambridge Crossing, and have a transfer to the GL at...
  10. TheRatmeister

    Redesign the Urban Ring

    Honestly I think it should just join the Grand Junction.
  11. TheRatmeister

    Redesign the Urban Ring

    Excellent point about Copley/Back Bay being a strong weekend/off peak destination in addition to commuter demand. However, I feel like there's a glaring flaw with this analysis, which is that it entirely excludes CR transfers. On an average weekday in Fall 2024, ~6,800 passengers per day...
  12. TheRatmeister

    Logan Airport Flights and Airlines Discussion

    Not surprising. My partner recently flew KLM from AMS to BOS and said that it was mostly empty.
  13. TheRatmeister

    MBTA Construction Projects

    Not that I'm aware of at least. The 1945 BERy map that includes the Braintree branch doesn't have a station at Neponset, although it does feature one at Atlantic.
  14. TheRatmeister

    General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

    One thing I haven't seen brought up yet is bunching, which can make two trips act like one. If you eliminate a trip that's almost always bunched from the schedule, that's not really cutting service. No that's not every case, or even most cases, but it definitely makes the comparison between...
  15. TheRatmeister

    MBTA Commuter Rail (Operations, Keolis, & Short Term)

    Arriva does the same thing here in Groningen/Friesland on the unelectrified lines.

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